BUNGLING housing chiefs called in debt collectors to chase up spurious rent
arrears of £353.32 from a woman who DIED 18 months ago.

Raging relatives of 82-year-old retired publican Nora Hare were given an apology
and told to forget it when they rang the collection agency to complain...then
got another letter four days later suggesting the old lady had been made
bankrupt.

Mrs Hare, who ran the Union Inn at Old Windsor with her late husband John for 30
years, died in February last year.

She was a tenant of Windsor and District Housing Association at
warden-controlled St Andrew's Cottages in Dedworth.

Her grieving family cleared out the flat in seven days and settled all
outstanding bills.

Daughter Sue Gregson, 58, said: "I handed in the keys personally at the housing
association, who said thank you and goodbye.

"We never heard another word until last Thursday when this letter arrived out of
the blue.

"It didn't even have my name on it. It was addressed to Mrs Hare, c/o daughter.
It was very upsetting, I was absolutely furious. If there was a problem, why on
earth didn't the housing association get in contact with me.

"They have never once asked for this money and then suddenly you have a debt
collection agency on your back. "We phoned the agency who said they were
terribly sorry and we should forget about it, then on Monday we got another
letter suggesting mum was a bankrupt.

"It is a comedy of errors, but any elderly person getting the letters might have
thought 'Oh My God' and just paid up.

"It was a shaker, especially coming 18 months after mum had passed away. I just
wanted to wring their necks."